Files are life's work.

The cloud can only ever be a small subset of the files in your life.

My current work machines have eight terabytes of storage and the storage is mostly used.

I am only comfortable when I have ready access to all of my life's files. I keep identical copies on two identical Mac Pro's so one can travel with me.

I would never pay to have all eight terabytes of my life's work in the cloud. Furthermore the speed at which the files download from the cloud into editable use on my Mac Pro is ten to twenty times slower than having them right by my feet on my Mac Pro.

So what is the cloud good for? Sharing copies by positioning the files in a place where someone else can access them in an automated way and a way which does not potentially compromise the security of the network on which your local machine resides.

The cloud is essentially a dumb waiter but it can also be a place for metadata to evolve and it can be a place for collaboration and version control.